Pokemon Ranger Guardian Signs
by Misha Oka
Summary: So... I really couldn't think of a good title. But... I do think that this is rather self-explanatory. It will be romantic and funny... I hope. xD Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! Rated T because of possible mature language and/or themes.
1. Separation

**Well, I have recently finished the game Pokemon Ranger, Guardian Signs, and I loved it! Well, I love all the ranger games, but that's beside the point. Anyways, the relationship between Ben and Summer was just too cute to ignore! So, what's a girl to do? Write a fanfiction of course! Anyways, this is hopefully going to be a pretty long-running story, cuz I'm basing it mostly on the game, but with more romance and humor. So please stick around, cuz it's gonna get better, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: ... Nope. Don't own Pokemon. Sigh...**

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"Ahhhh... are we there yet?" the brunette sighed, stretching. "We've been flying for hours!"

"Summer, you asked me the same thing 5 minutes ago!" her partner said, rolling his eyes. "And stop moving around, you're going to fall!"

Summer sighed again. "I'm just so BORED!" she cried. "What does Hastings expect us to do in Oblivia anyways? Those pinchers sound like such a joke!"

Ben smiled. "But you know, once we get rid of these guys we can have a pretty sweet vacation! Oblivia is supposed to have some sort of resort you know."

"Yeah, like Hastings would ever let us slack off," Summer groaned, drawing a chuckle from Ben. "Seriously, I wish that something would hap-"

WHOOSHHHHH!

A huge red shape appeared out of nowhere, brushing past Summer with frightening speed and nearly knocking her from her Starapador. "Dude! Look at that huge bird!" Ben cried, craning his neck to get a better look.

"You idiot! That's Latias! It's a legendary Pokemon!" Summer yelled, amazed. "But... what is it doing here?" As she spoke, she noticed two small figures trailing the Latias, gaining on it. "Uh... Ben?"

He had already noticed, and was racing ahead on his Starapador. "Hurry up Summer!" he cried. "Those guys look like bad news!" The two sped up, getting closer and closer to the figures, who seemed to be flying on some sort of hovercraft. Green balls of light seemed to be coming from these devices, aiming towards the Latias.

"Hey!" Summer shouted, angry. "What are you shooting at that pokemon for?" The two figures turned, surprised.

"Rangers!" one of them shouted, surprised. "B-but... they're flying!" He turned to his partner, panicking. "What should we do? The boss told us to get rid of this thing!"

"You idiot! Use your pokemon!" she replied, clearly frustrated with her dull partner. She pressed a button on her craft, summoning some Pidgey. "Attack!"

Summer glanced over at her friend, and he nodded back at her. "Capture on!" they shouted, and captured the Pidgey within a few seconds. Smiling, Ben clicked off his styler, and turned back to face the two (which he figured to be pinchers) who were clearly nervous now. "That Latias is gone, and we captured your pokemon. Now, what are you up to?" he asked, a harshness in his tone that Summer rarely heard. "Uh..." the male goon stuttered, speechless. Again, his partner sighed. "Pidgey are one thing, but let's see if you can take a blast from our Plasma Cannons!" she cried, and the balls of light that they had seen earlier shot out at them. They dodged them easily though, and smiled at each other yet again, excited with the thrill of the chase.

"Uh... well... it looks like you guys win..." the female pincher said, finally beginning to panic. "We... um... we'll be going now..."

"NOT SO FAST!" a voice cried out, and all four faces turned to see yet another figure emerge from the clouds. He had blonde hair with a red streak that matched his eyes, clothes and the hovercraft that he was riding. "But boss, these are Rangers!" one of the goons cried. "We... we can't beat them!"

"You idiots! You think that I can't handle a couple of flying brats?" the man shouted, anger in his eyes. "You fools don't know what you've gotten yourselves into," he said, now addressing Summer and Ben.

"Ha! You're the one whose team can't handle a couple of brats like us!" Ben shouted, his temper rising. "Don't make me laugh! You're all pathetic!"

The red-eyed man just smiled, however. "You really shouldn't mouth off like that. Didn't your mother ever teach you some manners? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to... the hard way!" He sneered. "Have fun skydiving... without a parachute!" With that, he pressed a button, and an enormous jet of light burst from his craft, aimed directly at Ben.

"BEN!" Summer cried, only one thought going through her mind: "I have to save him." He was her best friend, her partner, and without thinking she flew directly into the path of the beam.

"AUGHHH!"

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"What... what happened?" Ben asked, stunned. "Summer... Summer!"

"Heh. You rangers really are noble. Imagine, sacrificing yourself for a worthless piece of trash like you. What a way to thank her too, letting her fall into the ocean like that." the man smirked.

"Wha... what?" Ben cried, panicking. "Summer? SUMMER?"

"Well... it looks like you're pretty lucky, huh? Maybe we should just take you back with us as our lucky charm... you're pretty useless without your little ranger girlfriend, aren't you?" He chuckled, and turned away. "You," he said, addressing the pinchers, "Take him away. And lock him up tight. I don't want to hear him sniveling all the time."

As Ben was led away, all he could think of was Summer. Was she okay? Was she dead? She had sacrificed herself for him! He couldn't help but let a quiet moan escape his lips, thinking of her, beating himself for being so careless.

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Falling. Falling. Summer wasn't aware of anything except that she was falling fast into the sea. Flashbacks filled her mind: her and Ben at Ranger School, working together in Almia, and finally flying to Oblivia together. However, she did not feel remorse. "Ben..." she thought, "Please, please be okay..."

She hit the water with a splash, and everything went black.

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**Well! There it is! Not awful, but it was kinda long, I thought. I promise that they will get better! It was hard to incorporate the humor and romance in this chapter, and it probably will be for a few more to come until I really get into the juicy parts of the story. :D**

**Anyways, please stick with me! Reviews are really really appreciated, cuz I wanna know what you all think of my writing! Ciao!**


	2. Drowning

**I'm back! This is rather exciting, cuz I'm usually a really lazy person, but I've made a vow to actually get this project done! Woo hoo! Anyways, the first few chapters of this story are probably gonna be kinda boring... mainly cuz there's no Ben yet *sob*. But I'm really gonna try my best! Oh, and if I get a lot of reviews, I may throw a bonus chapter in soon (okay... it's probably gonna get in anyways, but I love getting reviews! They make me feel so loved!) and it's gonna be pretty epic. Well, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Misha doesn't own Pokemon. For reals. Don't worry, she was just as surprised as you are. **

Summer was quickly snapped back into reality by the freezing water of the ocean. Luckily, she had always loved swimming, and was rather good at it, though her clothes were weighing her down and she was still reeling from the long drop into the ocean. Looking around, however, she realized that she couldn't see any land, and she began to panic. "I'm going to die," she thought, though the thought still wasn't fully registering. "Oh my god... I'm going to die!"

Warning! Warning! Your Styler has fallen off... war...wa...rning... bzzttt... re-attach the style... r... bzzztttt... -

Startled, Summer glanced at her wrist and saw that the styler's vocal system was right, her capture styler had broken off during the fall! Glancing down, she thought she saw a faint glint sinking down into the ocean. Taking a deep breath, she dove down after it, hoping she could catch up to it quickly.

Underwater, Summer opened her eyes, and was glad to see the styler lying safely on a rock jutting out from the seafloor. Swimming quickly down, she noticed a Mantyke nearby, also focused on the shiny styler. She tried to cry out, but all that came out were bubbles and a slight gurgling sound, and she had also used up a lot of her air supply. The Mantyke still swam to the styler, picking it up in its mouth and carrying it deeper.

Summer started freaking out. She was underwater, losing air rapidly, and her styler was being carried swiftly deeper by the Mantyke. Instinct took over, and she swam as quickly as she could, chasing the pokemon. Soon, however, she began feel her oxygen running out, and she was losing hope until she saw the Mantyke drop the styler and flee, looking terrified. Summer swam faster, reaching her styler and picking it up off a stone dais. Entranced, she stared at the colors and patterns on the stone, forgetting about needing oxygen and about the Mantyke that had fled. She was slowly losing consciousness, without even realizing it, until she heard her styler again.

Warning! War...ning! A s...strong current approoooooaches! Get... bzzttttt... get... -

The voice brought Summer back, and she looked around until she saw a huge black shape in the water that was moving quickly towards her. All around it, pokemon were fleeing, and the sea was filled with their cries. Summer, weak from her lack of oxygen, swam up to the surface as fast as she could, black spots clouding her vision. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was seeing the black shape looming ahead and being swept away by the current. "Ben...I'm sorry," she thought, and closed her eyes.

The sun shone brightly on Dolce island, reflecting off of the clear water and illuminating the pure white sand of the beach. The island was a quiet paradise, filled only with the sounds of pokemon and the waves crashing on the beach. Suddenly, the harsh sounds of engines filled the air as a fleet of aircraft flew to the island, crashing through the trees and passing over a girl lying in the sand at the waters edge.

Summer woke up with the sun in her eyes, water gently lapping over her feet. She groggily opened her eyes, and tried to sit up, only to collapse with exhaustion. Lying still, she tried to remember what had happened, only remembering being in the water and suddenly realizing that she had survived. Turning her head, she took in her surroundings, seeing only a vast expanse of sand and some palm trees in the distance. Coughing, she finally sat up, brushing sand off her clothes.

"Uhh... where am I?" she asked out loud, still groggy and confused. She didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there, but now all she think of was Ben, and she prayed that he was all right.

**Ok... so this chapter kinda sucks. I'm trying to get through the beginning of the story as quickly as possible cuz I really wanna get to the part where Ben comes back. ^.^ So sorry that it's kinda boring and long, I promise that it's gonna get better! Please review! **


	3. An Important Mission

**Hey everyone! It's been a while! I do wanna apologize for taking so long with this update, but I've just had so much stuff to do! ^.^; I hope that you'll forgive me, so I tried to make this chapter extra-good for y'all! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, there would be a lot of changes... *evil grin***

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Ranger Union Conference Room: Almia Region

"I hope that you understand the gravity of this situation. This is an extremely important mission. I expect the two of you to carry this out quickly and efficiently, and report to me whenever you get new information. Any questions?"

Summer glanced at her partner. He looked back at her, sweatdropping slightly, and rolled his eyes. She smiled back slightly, trying to hold back a giggle. "Ummm... Has- sorry, Professor..." Summer mumbled, staring at the floor, "You... never actually told us what we need to do."

Hastings blinked. "Really?" he asked, looking puzzled. "Nothing?"

Ben shook his head. "Well, you dragged us out to the Union saying that you had something for us to do... but we still don't know what's going on," he explained. "Sir," he added hastily.

"Ah. Well, as I've said before, this mission is extremely important. The Oblivia region-"

"Oblivia? I've never heard of that place before," Summer interrupted, then flushed under the angry glare of Hastings.

"Ahem! Anyways," Hastings continued, irritated, "We have heard reports of a strange group capturing and controlling the Pokemon of the Oblivia region. Now, this group used to operate individually, but recently they've become united under the name of..." he paused dramatically, "The Pokemon Pinchers."

Ben scoffed. "Pokemon Pinchers? Really? I mean, what a stupid name!" He looked around, grinning like and idiot until he noticed Hastings' icy stare. Summer giggled as Ben fixed his gaze on the floor, his face bright red.

"As I was saying!" Hastings shouted, a vein in his temple throbbing, "The Pinchers pose a serious threat to peace in Oblivia! This is no laughing matter!" He sighed. "I have called the two of you here to investigate the plans of this group, and stop them if necessary. Now about Oblivia-"

"Oblivia? Oh, I know all about that place!" A short, slightly pudgy boy ran into the room, grinning.

"MURPH!" Hastings bellowed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

The brunette sweatdropped, but stood his ground. "You've took away all my responsibilities at the Union Professor," he whined, "I want to feel useful around here!"

Hastings sighed. "Go ahead Murph..."

Murph beamed. "Well, the Oblivia region is kind of far off from the rest of the world. It's a quiet, peaceful paradise. Nothing ever really happens there, so we've only placed one Area Ranger to look over things. Which is why we need you guys now. Anyways..." He trailed off, losing his train of thought. "Oh! The place is also full of ancient ruins and legends, so lots of archaeologists and historians like to visit. Also, the place is made up of seven... eight? Eight islands..."

"Nine!" Hastings shouted. "Nine islands!"

"...Nine different islands, so you should take the time to get comfy and enjoy the place..."

"Are you really that desperate for work Murph?" Hastings growled. "Because I'm sure I can find you something..."

"Ah! Make it something fun, okay?" Murph said with a wink as he ran from the room under Hastings' murderous glare.

"Arceus!" Ben mumbled under his breath. "Hastings' sure in a bad mood, hmm?" he whispered to Summer, drawing another look from Hastings. He cleared his throat, looking at the two young rangers that stood before him. Although they had only become Rangers a few months ago, the two had bonded and formed a rather formidable team. The two had energy, he was told, and were determined and always worked hard. Even though Hastings couldn't see this when he had first met them, he had no choice but to turn to the rookies, having no one else to take care of the job.

"Now, you listen to me," he began. "You two are the only ones that I can trust with this kind of job. I know that you lack experience and real world training, but I think that you can handle this..."

"Is that an insult, Professor?" Ben asked, glancing at Summer. "If you don't want us, I'm sure you can find someone else..."

"That's right, Ben," Summer piped up, a slight smile on her face. "We haven't really been at this long, and I'm not sure we're ready for this kind of mission."

"Hmm... you're probably right. So, we should probably try and prove Hastings wrong, correct?"

"Exactly what I was thinking," Summer said, now with a huge smile. Hastings looked at the pair again, this time seeing a fierce look of determination in their eyes. He smiled slightly (probably for the first time in years), and walked towards them.

"I do believe that you can do this. Try not to mess up though, okay?" he said, but now he was just provoking them. "Do not let us down. Your task is no small one. You must defend nature and the peace of Oblivia. Well, why are you still standing there? Head on out!"

Summer and Ben looked at each other, smiling, and ran out of the room. They were heading to Oblivia, to a new adventure, and both were excited beyond words.

"Summer, we can do this," Ben said, grinning. Then, to her surprise, he pulled her into a tight hug, almost making her lose her breath. She hugged him back, smiling, her face turning a light shade of pink.

"Yeah... we can. Together."

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Sitting on the beach, Summer remembered their briefing with Hastings, and the importance of the mission. But here she was, sitting on some beach, alone, with a broken styler. Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, but before she could let her emotions get the best of her she heard a small, pained cry from the forest behind her. She stood on shaky legs, stumbling towards the noise...

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**Well, there it is! Kinda short, I know ^.^; They're all gonna be until I get into all the action! I went back into the past for this chapter, just in case anyone was confused. I was considering making this the first chapter, but... well... I didn't. I made it a part of Summer's memory instead. I kind of like it here... but I would love to hear what you all think! Please review! **


	4. Pichu, Booker and Renbow Island

**Misha: I'm back! I've decided to throw everything I've got into this project, so you should be seeing more regular updates from now on :D**

**Summer: This is tiring. Can't you go back to slacking off like you used to?**

**Misha: *sweatdrops* I know you're not used to working regularly, but I'm really really gonna be focused on this! I promise!**

**Ben: Sigh... This is just like your Pita-Ten project, isn't it? Or that other fic that you haven't even published... and all those one-shots that you wanted to do...**

**Misha: HEY! I'll let you know that I've been working my butt off lately! I have a lot going on right now you know! You're just a bunch of fictional characters! What do you know! You don't know me! And another thing...**

**Summer: I'm so sorry you all had to see this, she's just having a nervous breakdown. Anyways, Misha doesn't own Pokemon. **

**Misha: ...You had better start respecting me! I've created this little world of yours! I have the power to make you all miserable! And don't even get me started on...**

**Cast: THAT'S ENOUGH!**

**Misha: Right right... I'm sorry ^.^; Please enjoy this latest chapter! And I would love to hear your reviews!  
**

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Summer continued her trek through the sand, still weary from her fall into the ocean. As she ran, the beach ended, giving way to a dense green jungle. She fought her way through the trees and plants until she finally reached a large clearing. Panting, she stood still, listening for the cry again, but heard nothing. Frustrated, she tried starting up her styler to get some idea of where she was. The screen flickered a couple of times, but then went black.

"Great," she sighed. "This is just fantastic!" She tried fiddling with the device some more, but still nothing happened. Frustrated and angry, she threw her styler to the ground with a shriek, then sank to her knees, fighting back tears.

-bzztttt... locating coooooordinates...ss.s...-

Summer looked up, startled, as the styler's screen started flickering back to life. She ran over to it, breathing a sigh of relief as she picked it up and saw the screen glowing again.

-current location Dolce... Island... bzztttttttt-

Summer looked around. So this was Dolce Island, a part of the Oblivia Island that she had learned about during her briefing with Hastings. As far as she knew, the island was uninhabited, which meant she had no one to turn to for help. She was glad that she had at least landed in the right place, but her happy feeling quickly faded as she remembered what had happened to Ben. Worried, she tried activating her communication feature, but only heard static. She was quickly becoming more angry, frustrated and scared, and she began pacing, kicking small stones out of her way. One in particular was kicked with extra force, and landed in some bushes nearby.

_PIICHUUUU!_

A tiny Pichu ran out of the bushes, clutching its head and whimpering softly. Summer raced towards it, feeling guilty for having caused the little thing pain. The Pichu turned, noticing Summer, and stopped crying at once. Summer was relieved, until she looked at the Pokemon's face. It was staring... no... _glaring_ at her, a fierce anger in its eyes. Before Summer could react, the little thing was charging at her, a field of electricity beginning to form around its body.

"Wah!" Summer exclaimed, jumping back. "P-pichu, what's the matter?" The Pokemon ignored her, however, unleashing a thunder attack, which she was barely able to dodge. Summer realized that there was no other choice, and hoped that her styler would be up to the task.

"Capture on!"

Although the Pichu was agitated, Summer was able to capture it rather easily. The now calm Pokemon stood, confused, but finally realized that Summer meant no harm. It ran towards her then, chattering happily. Summer noticed something strange on its back, but before she could get a closer look she was interrupted by a figure emerging from the forest.

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"Pichu!" a man cried, hobbling forwards. As he walked into the light, Summer saw that he was rather old, with pure white hair and a full mustache, and a wrinkled but extremely tan face. "Ah Pichu, I've been so worried about you ever since seeing those UFO's passing through... where are all your friends?"

_Pi! Piiii... chuuuupi! _The Pichu hopped around, looking nervous, then ran over to Summer and clutched her leg.

"Ah! I didn't see you there!" the old mad said, giving Summer a crooked smile. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here. What's your name?"

"My name is Summer," Summer said with a small smile. "I'm a ranger, I've just come over from Almia," she explained.

"Oh! A ranger, eh? Well then, you should be able to explain all the crazy stuff that's been happening around here." He looked at the young girl, expecting an answer, until he saw the confused expression on her face. "Ahem," he coughed, slightly embarrassed. "I suppose I should get all the formalities out of the way. My name is Booker, and I'm the master shipbuilder over at Renbow Island." Summer couldn't help but notice that he spoke of his job with pride. "Yup, I come over here all the time to visit little Pichu here and all his friends! I've built boats around here, you know, in case theres a flood or something and the Pokemon need to escape the island. I even made Pichu's little ukulele here!" He pointed to the object around Pichu's neck. Summer bent down to look, and saw that it was indeed a tiny ukelele, painted blue and tied around the Pokemon.

"Does he really play it?" she asked, interested.

"Oh, no," Booker replied, chuckling. "He can't play, but when he generates enough electricity he can make some sounds. That's why folks around here gave him the nickname "Ukelele Pichu". But anyways!" he continued, a different tone in his voice, "There's been some troubling things happening around here lately. UFO's flying all over the place, Pokemon disappearing, I tell ya, something's just not right," he concluded, nodding to himself. "So I assume that's why your here, eh?"

Summer nodded. "I was sent to investigate some of the problems you've been having over here," she explained, "But I ran into the enemy on the way here and was separated from my partner..." she trailed off, again consumed with worry.

Booker looked at the youngster, noticing how upset she looked. "Not to worry dear, I'm sure he's just fine," he said, trying to reassure her. "How abouts I take you back to my place over at Renbow Island. It's just a short ride from here, and you can rest up for a bit. How about it?"

"Oh, that sounds great," Summer replied, smiling. "It has been a really long day..."

"Excellent! Now, let's be off!" He started off, moving at an incredible speed for someone of his age. Summer almost had to jog to keep up with him. They went on for a while, until they reached another shore at the other end of the island. Summer looked around, but saw no boat. She turned to Booker, confused.

"Ummm... I'm sorry sir, but-"

"Sir?" the old man laughed. "Don't you be calling me sir, youngster. Name's Booker, or did you forget already?"

Summer blushed slightly. "I'm sorry si- sorry, Booker... but umm... well there's no boat here..."

"What are you going on about? My eyes may be going, but I'm sure you would be able to see..." he trailed off, realizing that Summer was right. There was no boat. "Ah!" he turned. "I must have forgotten to tie it up again!" he said cheerfully. Summer sweatdropped, confused as to why Booker was taking the news so well.

"Yes, but, how are we going to get back?" she asked, still concerned.

"Not to worry Summer! I've got a boat back here that I'm almost finished with. We can take that back!" He pointed to a boat behind them on a ledge that looked nearly done. "I just need someone to move it down to the shore. But you're a ranger, so you should be able to handle it, right?"

Summer sweatdropped again. "Umm... well... do you really think that it's safe to ride on a boat that's not even finished yet?"

Booker laughed. "Summer, this boat is probably sturdier then a finished one by any other shipbuilder! Trust me, I'm the best in the business!" He chuckled at the disbelieving look on the girl's face. "I thought I saw an Ursaring back in the woods, why dontcha see if it can help us out?"

Summer headed back, wondering if the old guy was really as brilliant a shipbuilder as he claimed, or if he was just plain crazy. But she had no choice but to trust him, as he was the only person that she had met so far that was willing to help her.

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"I'm back!" Summer called, the Ursaring in tow. She brought him over to the boat, and he happily helped her move down to the beach. "Thanks Ursaring!" she said, smiling brightly and patting the Pokemon before it lumbered away cheerfully.

"Excellent work! I can see now why they chose you to come over here!" Booker exclaimed, beaming. "Well c'mon, we're wasting precious time! Our long voyage shall begin!" he sweatdropped. "Well... it isn't really that long, but I've always wanted to say that! So lets go!" Before he could get in the boat, however, the Pichu from the forest ran out, hopping inside.

"Pichu?" Summer asked. "Do you want to come with us?"

Piiiii! The Pokemon exclaimed, smiling brightly. Summer looked over at Booker, who grinned. "As long as this little guy doesn't bother us, he can come along. Now let's get on with this!"

Summer followed, smiling. Although she was still worried, she couldn't help but feel more at ease, knowing that she had met at least one person who would help her out and make her journey easier.

Ben opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. The room he was in was small and dark, with nobody in sight. "Summer..." he thought, "Summer, are you ok?"

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**Misha: I did it! I finished two chapters in two days! I'm so happy!**

**Summer: Yes, that's great. Now can you stop being so crazy about all this? I need to rest you know...**

**Misha: You better watch it... I have complete control over your future, remember?**

**Summer: Ah, well... umm...**

**Misha: Well that's that! Please stay tuned! And please review! It make me sooo happy! **


	5. Welcome to Cocona Village!

**Misha: Hi! Uhmm…yeah, it's been a longgg time. ^.^; So, sorry about that! Hopefully I'll be able to get focused and start updating on a more…regular schedule, but we'll see. So for everyone that's stuck with me, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own da Pokemons**

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"And here we are!" Booker shouted happily. "Renbow Island!" He hopped off the boat, quickly tying it to the dock with expert hands. Summer stood gently, grabbing the edge of the craft for balance. Booker smiled and held out his arm. "Steady now lass," he said. "Wouldn't want you falling in now, would we?"

Summer took Booker's hand thankfully, allowing him to help her off the little boat. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry…I'm not really used to traveling by boat…" she explained. Booker gave a knowing smile and patted the young Ranger on the shoulder.

"Don't fret about it Summer. Why, when I was just a young lad, I was scared stiff of sea travel. And look at me now!" He laughed heartily. "Now let's get you some rest, you look about ready to fall over."

Summer nodded. Her worrying over Ben had led her to forget about her fatigue, but now she felt it; her body was sore all over, and all she wanted was to sleep for a few days.

"Piichu!"

Booker chuckled as the small Pokemon jumped out of the boat, running up to him and grabbing onto his leg. "You're coming too?"

"Chu!" it replied happily, and the three turned and walked up the dock to the island. They had only gone a short ways, however, when they were stopped by a group of three children.

"Booker!" one of the kids yelled; a short boy with light teal hair. "We've all been so worried! No one knew where you were! We thought the UFOs had gotten you! Where did you go? And…" he paused for breath, "Who's the weird girl with you?"

Summer glanced over at the shipbuilder, puzzled.

"This is Ralph," Booker explained calmly. "He's lived in this village his whole life, causin' trouble." He winked at the boy. "You seem as dirty and energetic as always, Ralph. What's got you so worked up this time?"

Ralph frowned. "People keep seeing those UFOs flying around…and no one could find you! We were all really worried!"

"Well, with all that fuss about those UFO things, I decided to go check on the Pokemon over on Dolce Island. Ran into Ukulele Pichu, and this lass here," he clapped Summer on the back, "She's a Pokemon Ranger, you know, and she's here to help us out!"

The expressions on all the children's faces suddenly turned to awe. "Really?!" a young girl exclaimed. "Another Ranger? Cool!" She and the others crowded around Summer excitedly.

"There's only one Ranger in Oblivia," Ralph explained. "If they sent you, you must be a real pro, huh?"

Summer blushed. "Well…I wouldn't really say that…"

"You're here to stop the UFOs, aren't you?" another boy said. "I knew it!"

"Umm…well…"

"Your uniform is so cool!"

"Yeah! It's different from the one we've seen."

"Can I touch your Styler? Why is your uniform different? Are you a super special agent Ranger or something?"

The questions continued, and Summer winced, overwhelmed. She was grateful, therefore, when Booker stepped in.

"That's quite enough!" he said sternly. The children quieted at once. "Summer here has been through a lot today, and she needs her rest. Now you three run along and go bother someone else, you hear?"

"Yes sir…" Ralph muttered quietly. He and the others turned and headed back towards the village.

Booker smiled. "They're a real pain in the neck sometimes, but they're good kids," He turned to face Summer. "Well then! Let's get you inside before you attract any more attention."

The two headed towards Booker's house, not noticing that Pichu was no longer following behind. Instead, its gaze was turned upwards. Suddenly, blotches of grey obscured the blue sky, so quickly that it was hard to tell if they had actually been there, but the buzzing noise that accompanied the shapes gave them away. The little Pokemon growled, and darted off in the direction of the intruders.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=^.^=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"Nick! I'm back!" Booker called as he and Summer walked into the house. The inside was well lit and roomy, and Summer found herself liking it immensely. Booker led her over to a sitting room, and she sat down in a large armchair, immediately feeling relief in her tired legs.

A boy appeared suddenly, wringing his hands.

"Boss! You're back! I was so worried! I thought for sure that you had been abducted, and taken on an alien ship, and they were about to-"

Booker cut him off. "There's no need to panic." He turned to Summer. "This is Nick, my apprentice. And Nick, this is Summer."

Nick stepped forward, offering a shaky hand. Summer shook it with a smile. "Booker never mentioned having an apprentice. Nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too, I guess…" Nick replied nervously, eying her uniform. "So you're a Pokemon Ranger…oh no!" he exclaimed, turning to Booker. "C-could it be? She's become disillusioned with being a Ranger, and has come to ask to be your new apprentice? Then, moved by those words, you decided to take her in?"

Summer sweatdropped. "Actually…."

Nick continued, seeming not to hear Summer's weak protest. "If that's the case, I'm no longer needed…so it's, 'Pack your bags and hit the road,' right?! Boss! How could you do that to me?"

Booker sighed. "Summer is not here to take your job. Quit worryin' about stupid things, boy! If you don't have anythin' better to do than dream up lame stories, why don't you hurry and get our guest some tea!"

The boy winced at Booker's words, but looked relieved nevertheless. He hurried out of the room, and Summer soon heard the clashing of pots and pans from what she assumed was the kitchen, accompanied by a few choice curses. Booker sighed.

"The boy's got talent in the ship making business…but I swear, he's hopeless when it comes to anything else. Add his wild imagination and anxiety to the mix and you've got a right disaster."

Summer couldn't help but smile at his words.

"It sounds like you're very fond of him," she teased.

Booker grunted. "He's a good kid, I'll give him that. But he'll be lucky if I don't kick him out one of these days."

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Then how about you stop your eavesdroppin' and make that tea!" Booker shouted back. He walked over and sat down on a sofa adjacent to the armchair Summer sat in.

"Well then, Ranger Summer, how about you tell me about this mission you've got in Oblivia."

Summer took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if she should be revealing the details of her mission to someone she had only known for a few hours, but Booker had been a big help to her after all, and she owed him at least the most basic explanation.

"Well…like I said, I'm from Almia originally. And I came here with my partner…" she paused. "Well, you know that part already. Umm…anyways, our director, Professor Hastings, sent us here to investigate an organization known as the Pokemon Pinchers. They go around capturing Pokemon, but we're not sure what their purpose is."

"That explains it then!" Booker exclaimed.

"It explains what?"

"There aren't as many Pokemon on Dolce Island as there used to be. No one knows where they've gone, but people are gettin' pretty worried. So it's those…pinchers, you say? Lousy good-fer-nothings…"

"That probably explains it. The Pinchers haven't been active very long, so we don't have much information. I guess they used to be a few small groups of people, but now they all seem to be working together, and so we were sent to assist the Ranger here in finding out what they're up to and stopping them, if necessary."

Booker frowned. "So do they have something to do with all the UFOs folks have been seeing lately?"

Summer nodded. "They're not UFOs, they're a kind of…hover pad, I suppose, that the Pinchers use to travel. We ran into a few of them chasing after a Pokemon on our way here…and…" her voice faltered as she remembered the scene. "There were two of them, and…and we were doing fine and then…he came out of nowhere and a-attacked Ben so…" She was choking up now, trying to keep herself from crying. "I…I don't really remember what happened…but I…I think I fell into the ocean…and then I woke up on Dolce Island. And I have no idea w-where Ben is, and I don't know if he's safe, or if he's even alive!" She broke down then, clutching her face in her hands and sobbing.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=^.^=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"I have tea!" Nick burst into the room, grinning. However, the scene in front of him wiped the smile right off his face. "Oh…I…uh…I'll just go then…"

Summer looked up and offered a weak smile. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I'll be fine."

Booker walked over and took the cups of tea from Nick, offering one to Summer. "If it's any consolation, I don't think your partner is dead. He's probably just lost and looking for you."

Summer wiped her eyes and accepted the cup. "T-thank you…" she mumbled.

"Or…maybe he's been caught by the bad guys and is bound with a rope in-"

He was cut off by a deadly glare from Booker. "You think this girl isn't worried sick as it is? Stop filling her head with your crazy ideas!" he yelled.

"I…sorry," Nick apologized, staring at the floor.

A long silence filled the room, broken occasionally by the sipping of tea, Summer sniffling or Nick awkwardly scuffing the floor with his shoe.

"The good news is, you aren't alone," Booker said, finally breaking the silence. Summer glanced over at him in surprise. "I mean," he continued, "You've got me, and Nick when he's not being a pain in the behind." Summer smiled. "And even Ukulele Pichu has taken a liking to you…" he trailed off, looking around the room. "Speaking of which, has anyone seen the little rascal?"

Summer suddenly realized the absence of the little Pokemon. "I don't think I've seen him since-"

She was interrupted as the front door burst open, a panting Ralph standing in the doorway.

"You...we need you…" he said between gasps.

Summer set down her tea and rushed over to the little boy. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Ralph nodded. "The UFOs…they're back! They're headed towards Teakwood Forest…we need your help!"

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=^.^=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_~**

**Soooo that's that! For now at least! I actually just got really excited about starting this up again, so there should be another chapter coming soon XD **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!**


	6. UPDATE!

**Wow okay hello friends! It's uh…it's been a long time, I know. Anyways, to those that are actually reading this, thanks for sticking around with me! So, please know that I fully intend on continuing this story. However, since first posting this, and my other fic, Heart of Gold, I feel I have improved a lot as a writer, and so I'm going to be starting over with this and Heart of Gold. I'm not deleting this fic, but if you want to read the "new and improved" version, keep an eye out! There's not going to be a lot different, but the chapters will be longer and more detailed and just better, I think. Thanks for reading!**


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